Writing poems one quilt at a time

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(Feeling) Anguish

The first piece I’ve completed this year is also the last piece I started last year. Two months to create Anguish! That seems like too long but the reality is there is a LOT of stitching in the Feelings series. Each separate fabric strip is stitched individually in its corresponding color, with less than 1/4″ between stitched lines. The stitching follows the outline of the fabric shape, continuing in a smaller and smaller “circle” as I work towards the center of the shape. There are more stitched lines and more yards of thread in Anguish (and the other Feelings) than I am willing to count.

I’ve gotten very Zen about the stitching. It used to be my least favorite thing about making my art. Now, I look forward to it. Sitting down to stitch, whether for 15 minutes if that’s all I can spare, or an hour when I’ve got more time available, centers and grounds me. I meditate better sitting at my Bernina then I do sitting quietly on the floor, following my breath.

Info about my Feelings series: I interpret my random abstract doodles as emotions. The guiding point is the outer boundary of the doodle. The boundary evokes the feeling. From there, I contemplate how to bring that particular feeling alive in fiber.